Historic First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi, USA (founded 1837) is the largest Presbyterian congregation in the State and one of the largest in the United States. A flagship congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), First Church played a significant role in establishing the PCA (the largest conservative Presbyterian denomination in the English-speaking world), Reformed Theological Seminary, and Reformed University Ministries (a nationwide campus fellowship).

Monday, December 01, 2008

Our theme and focus for the next two years in women’s ministry is, “Living for God’s Glory: Custom-Made for His Kingdom.” During the month of December and with Christmas fast-approaching, what better question to ask ourselves than, how can we, as women, glorify God in the midst of all the shopping, cooking, planning, and hanging the stockings by the chimney with care?What does it look like to reclaim God’s presence in the midst of December, a month that really does call us to consider Christ? I hope to take up this question more in the days ahead. For now, here are a few upcoming opportunities that will take you away from the hustle of your Christmas season to-do list, and I encourage and invite you to attend if possible, as we seek to give God glory through fellowshipping with His saints and serving His Kingdom…

Tuesday, December 2: Christmas Dinner – "To God Be the Glory"Appetizers at 6:00 p.m.; Dinner and Program at 6:30 p.m.

Our annual Christmas dinner and program is a long-standing favorite of our ladies, as it is an evening where we have the privilege of recognizing a few women who have served and ministered faithfully for years within our church.

When we begin reading in the book of Matthew, we find that the story of good news of a great joy begins with a long genealogy listing those who came before Jesus. Take a moment to read through this list (Matthew 1:1-17) and consider the significance of the names that appear there: it is a family history filled with good and bad men and women. From Abraham to Ahaz and Ruth to Rahab, Matthew is preparing us for the birth of Christ by telling us that Christ’s lineage was very normal. It was not filled with super-spiritual Christian examples who had no problems and who held everything together. In fact it is just the opposite. It’s a family history filled with sins and troubles, as well as saints who made every effort to walk by faith and trust their God. Does this sound familiar—do you see perhaps some similarities with your own family? Let us find encouragement here, because one of Matthew’s purposes in writing this genealogy was to remind us that everyone, Jew and Gentile, male and female, good and not-so-good…even the family of Jesus, needs a Savior. The hope for a ruined humanity is coming by way of the baby in the manger. How does this connect to our Christmas dinner, you might ask?

The ladies that we will recognize are not super-spiritual Christians either, but rather, they are just like those listed in the genealogies – normal, everyday redeemed sinners who have sought to live their lives in obedience to God, walking by faith with their eyes focused on the author and finisher of their faith, Jesus Christ. They are examples to us of what it looks like to glorify God with our time, talents, resources, and energies. Their testimonies will encourage you in your own walk with Christ as you hear of the many different and often unnoticed ways that they have faithfully served God for years. The theme of the evening is, “To God Be the Glory” and how appropriate to truly give Him thanks for these ladies for great things He has done in their lives and ours through Christ.

As a church, we support Gateway Rescue Mission (click here to learn more about the ministry) and we are always looking for ways to partner with the ministries we support and to foster relationships with them. Ruth’s Refuge is the new women’s shelter at Gateway, and we are looking forward to the opportunity to take a bit of the holiday festivities to these ladies at the end of the week. During our service night in October, we made Christmas wreaths and ornaments to take to these ladies, and we are going to make the night more special by preparing and sharing a meal with them. If you would be interested in helping us cook the meal and/or to go out and have dinner with them, we would love to have you join us! Contact Anna Brand for cooking and departure instructions: annabrand@bellsouth.net

A Christmas Party with the Ladies at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility: Saturday, December 13th from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

A group of ladies at FPC have an ongoing, monthly mentoring ministry with the ladies at our nearby prison, and each year, we have the privilege of helping hostess a Christmas party for these inmates. Along with taking and serving a meal, we will also sing Christmas songs and hymns with them, as well as share a Christmas devotional. This is an excellent opportunity to share Christ with others in word and deed. Consider this avenue of service – it is our desire to share a Christ-centered Christmas party with them. We will meet and depart from the church at 2:15 p.m. and the party will conclude at 5:00 p.m. Contact Gail Jones if you would like to join us: gbjones5@comcast.net